How Did the General
Federation of Women's Clubs Shape Women's Involvement
in the Conservation Movement, 1900-1930?

Abstract

The American
conservation movement, with its sense of public responsibility for the protection
of America's natural resources and beauty, reflected the social consciousness
of the Progressive Era. Middle- and upper-class white women, who participated
in many Progressive reform efforts, were important players in the conservation
movement. Through local, state, and national women's clubs, as well as through
various conservation and outdoor organizations, women became involved in conservation
campaigns ranging from planting trees to creating national parks. Women's
conservation efforts sometimes drew on popular support for protection of wildlife,
natural resources, and places of natural beauty, thereby offering a bridge
between the male elite leaders of the conservation movement and a wider audience.
This project focuses specifically on the activities of middle- and upper-class
white female reformers. It addresses the question of how the women's club
movement encouraged and shaped women's involvement in the conservation movement
as well as the influence of women's networks on the success of conservation
campaigns between 1890 and 1930.